Between the 4th and the 7th of August 2010, flash floods hit several villages across the vast region of
Ladakh, from Changthang near the Indo-Tibetan border, down to Da-Hanu near the Indo-Pakistani border. The worst devastation occurred in the early hours of August 6th when a cloud burst over the two adjoining valleys of Leh and the village of Sabu. In addition to the number of people deceased, missing, and homeless, Ladakh’s main civilian hospital was flooded and all its vital equipment ruined, crops destroyed, roads and bridges washed away, communication crippled, electricity and water supplies damaged.

The LAMO Centre is located just below the Leh Palace and above the Old Town, which was one of the worst affected areas in the flash flood and largely inhabited by low-income and migrant communities as well as artisans and musicians. The cloudburst and floods of August 6th had a severe impact on the residents of the Old town where the main areas affected were: Mane Tsermo, Lopding, Stallam and Stago Philog.

LAMO’s immediate response to the situation was:

Arranging for immediate relief – rations, tents, clothes, kitchen items and blankets were some of the relief items distributed amongst the affected and displaced families. LAMO was assisted and supported in this by ‘Care for Ladakh’.

Clearing mud and debris from houses that were hit – LAMO hired labour to assist people with cleaning out their homes and making them habitable where possible.

Disaster Assessment – LAMO staff and Fellows conducted a disaster assessment to determine the needs of the displaced and affected families. They wrote up a disaster assessment survey, met with and interviewed family members and took visual recordings of the area and damaged structures. LAMO was assisted in this exercise by ten local volunteers.

Outreach – LAMO participated in CNN IBN’s Citizen Journalist Report program, reporting on the flood situation in Leh and surrounding areas. A total of five reports were made.

LAMO’s long term response to the situation will be:

Design Consultancy
As LAMO’s Centre in Leh has been hailed as a model of traditional and contemporary architecture, it will take the lead in coordinating structural engineering and design expertise with local building techniques that will aid the work of rebuilding in Ladakh. LAMO will use information gathered from other disaster areas as well as Ladakhi practices to provide a manual and models for rebuilding viable community spaces, sanitary and dignified public areas, and sustainable, earthquake and flood-resistant homes in the Old Town area.

Water WatchLAMO will enhance its work on urban water management and set up a community watch program to monitor the flow and level of water throughout Ladakh’s glaciers, lakes, streams and rivers. This practice used to be prevalent in Ladakh at one time and LAMO will work on reviving and revitalizing this framework. The information will be disseminated to the public and policymakers through radio, television, websites and blogs.